Nest Big Kid’s Bed (BKB) Mattress Review

• Review
• Specs
• Comments

It’s an exciting time to go mattress shopping. Today, you don’t have to go any further than your laptop or mobile device to have a quality mattress shipped to your door. If the time has come to get your little one a new mattress, keep reading to see how the Big Kid’s Bed from Nest Bedding worked out for my 10-year-old daughter.

This is an excellent product for young kids and those getting ready to graduate from their crib or toddler beds. Nest was the very first company to offer a mattress in a box solution for kids. We were provided the twin XL version, but they also offer twin and full options if that’s more suitable for your needs.

Video Review

Don’t want to read the full review? Watch our video review instead.

A Look Under the Cover

You can pretty quickly see that the thickness of this mattress isn’t what you’d see in an adult mattress, but this is sufficient for accommodating the lower body weight. If you’re trying to shop for an adult and keep the budget low, this isn’t going to be a good pick. There are plenty of great mattresses under $500 that would be more suitable.

The Cover

Aside from the eye-catching acronym on the front, they kept the cover pretty simple. If you think about it, this is pretty smart. Kids are highly prone to spills, so there’s really no need to pretty the mattress up. This keeps costs low and makes sense. It’s made of a blend of cotton and polyester. You can rest assured the materials are CertiPur US certified, and the fabric is soft, elastic, and durable.

Comfort Layer

In any mattress, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, so let’s take a look. This product is comprised of two layers. The first is two inches of Energex foam. This is an alternative to conventional viscoelastic foam designed to retain the advantages of memory foam without the slow response. It’s a really interesting technology that also works to integrate the response of latex.

Jenna reported that the mattress molded well to fit her body, but it bounces right back into place when I press my hand on it and release quickly. For kids, this is helpful since memory foam isn’t typically recommended for infants and young children due to the dangers of sinking. Energex foam allows kids to enjoy the conforming comfort of memory foam without getting stuck.

Support Layer

Beneath the Energex layer is a five-inch layer of edge support base foam. With many kids’ mattresses of this thickness, I’m able to compress the entire unit with one hand. However, this isn’t possible due to the supportive base of the Big Kid’s Bed.

As your child grows, the Energex foam works to provide deeper hug while the base responds with support for the entire body. Jenna often wakes up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water or otherwise just walk around unable to sleep. She reports she has only woken up on two out of the nine nights she’s been using this bed, so it seems to be making an impact on helping her stay relaxed and comfortable.

Performance Based on Varying Weights

Now that we’ve seen inside the mattress, let’s talk a moment about how it feels. When I sit on it, I do sink in a lot, and this is expected since I weigh 130 pounds. The more weight you put on it, the softer it feels. For kids, you want to look for something with a medium-to-firm surface. This helps them move at night. This product works great for Jenna’s size. She weighs 75 pounds. My son, Jacob, weighs 84 pounds, and he also reports getting adequate support. My 13-year-old, however, weighs about as much as me, so he sunk in quite a bit.

I’d suggest this mattress for kids under 100 pounds for best results. I think it’s a great product to consider, especially if your child is transitioning from their crib or toddler bed. In standard viscoelastic foam, a density of three pounds per cubic foot is acceptable for an adult. The Energex foam offers a 2.8-pound density. For a low-weight child, this should offer viable durability into their pre-teen or teenage years when their weight will likely necessitate more support.

Firmness and Sinkage

Getting the right firmness is one of the most important aspects to get right when mattress shopping, so let’s look deeper into what you can expect with BKB. Jenna stood on the mattress applying her 75 pounds in an upright position in the middle. She sank to about 3 ½ inches. When Jacob stood in the same spot applying his 84 pounds, he sunk four inches. Jenna reports the mattress feeling about average, and Jake said it feels medium to him. If your child is heavier than this 75 to 85-pound range, it will feel plusher while younger kids will have the harder firmness they need to move around.

Based on this, again, I strongly feel this product is ideal for kids less than 100 pounds. Kids are always growing, so it’s important to check with them periodically to see how their mattress is holding up in response to their growth.

Motion Transfer Reduction

In Jenna’s case, she uses the mattress by herself, so motion isolation didn’t carry a whole lot of prominence in our situation. However, if you’re going to have two kids on the same mattress, the last thing you want is for them to wake each other up through the night. Jacob and Jenna weigh ten pounds of one another, and they both laid on the mattress with one remaining still and the other moving. There was very little transfer that I could see, and Jenna reported his movements weren’t bothering her to the point that she thought she’d wake up.

The visco properties of the Energex foam helped reduce this transfer, so I think this could work for more than one child. However, I’d strongly suggest the full option or just consider buying two twin mattresses if the space in your home will accommodate.

BKB Breathability

You don’t want your child to sleep hot. When their body temperature is allowed to drop just slightly, they are better able to enter into the deeper REM stages of sleep. Jenna laid on the mattress for 30 minutes at a room temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit. The Energex foam combined with the base was able to cool back down to room temperature in just over five minutes.

An average 10-12 inch mattress takes around 10 minutes in my experience, so the Big Kid’s Bed seems to do a great job at keeping the temperature regulated. Jenna did not report sleeping hot even though she does have a heater vent located under her bed.

Edge Support

Edge support is pretty important for kids. I don’t know about you, but I know I’ve heard it… that hideous thump of one of my kids falling off the bed. Every time I cringe, just waiting for the wailing that always follows. Many products made entirely of foam lack in edge support.

To test out the BKB, I had Jenna and Jacob sit in various areas of the edge. The sinkage that resulted is what you’d typically see in a mid to high-quality adult foam mattress. Even when I lie on the edge, I was pretty well supported.

Sleep Trial & Cost

Jenna is very pleased with her new Big Kid’s Bed, and I’m pretty happy with the density at the comfort level. Any parent knows how expensive it is to raise kids. For the price, I think you’re getting a great value in a product that will hold up and offer your child proper comfort and support. I love that this bed offers kids the chance to enjoy the best features of memory foam without having trouble moving around. If you think this could be a good solution for your child, let’s take a look at what you can expect once you’ve made your purchase.

Sleep Trial

It can take some time to make the final choice as to whether or not a sleep product is going to work for you. To ensure your child is happy with their Big Kid’s Bed, they offer a 100-night comfort guarantee. This gives you over three months to determine if it will, indeed, be a good fit for the next several years.

Cost

The best part about Nest’s Big Kid’s Bed is the price. The online business model has allowed mattress manufacturers to cut a variety of costs, and these savings are passed onto you. Best of all, Nest does offer financing options for those who qualify. If you’re ready to become their next customer, here’s a breakdown of the cost:

Twin– $349
Twin XL– $399
Full– $549

Big Kid’s Bed Reviews and Feedback

I’m a parent, and it’s been my main goal to help you both understand the composition of the product as well as give you honest feedback on how it’s worked for us. I think the densities are pretty good considering the cost. If your child weighs less than 100 pounds, I think this should last awhile. I also really like the acronym on the front. I think Nest was smart in saving money on a fancy cover since kids will be kids.

Who We Recommend the Big Kid’s Bed For

With so many kid beds on the market, it can be hard to limit your options down to one. I think the Big Kid’s Bed is a viable option to consider that’s easy on the budget while offering a sleeping solution that should last your child into their teenage years. If you’re torn, let’s break down exactly who can benefit from this product:

• Parents on a budget
• Kids graduating from their crib or toddler beds
• Kids under 100 pounds
• Shoppers looking for a product that offers contour without feeling stuck

Conclusion

Considering the densities found on the Big Kid’s Bed, I think you’re getting a pretty great value. The financing options also help when the budget just won’t fit your child’s much-needed new mattress cost. I think Nest did a great job marrying comfort and support, and the base unit helps my daughter move around easily. I expect it to provide her several years of use.

If your child is nearing their teenage years or weighs over 100 pounds, I think you’d be better off looking for an adult mattress. However, in their effort to make an affordable mattress with kids in mind without compromising on quality, I think Nest did a great job.

Big Kid’s Bed Specs Sheet

Material:	Thickness:	ILD:	Density:
Energex® foam	2 inches	n/a	2.8 lbs.
Edge support base foam	5 inches	n/a	n/a